The Westfield High School As Schools Match Wits team. (Photo courtesy WGBY)
WESTFIELD – Local high school teams will match wits this weekend in a quiz show competition broadcast on public television.
The two teams, Suffield Senior High and Westfield High, will spar this week on As Schools Match Wits, airing on WGBY public television Saturday, May 19 at 7:30 p.m. The two schools have reached the quarterfinals, and only the winning team will advance to the semifinals.
As Schools Match Wits (ASMW) pits teams of western New England high schoolers against each other in a fun, but competitive game of academic performance. The competition is open to both public and private high schools throughout western New England.
ASMW was originally created by Leonard J. Collamore for WWLP-TV 22 in 1961 to showcase local students from familiar schools in an engaging format. Twelve years ago, WWLP handed production of the show over to local PBS and public television station WGBY and Westfield State University (WSU).
Today, ASMW is one of the longest-running shows of its kind in the nation. It is hosted by award-winning local TV journalist Beth Ward .
“After 57 years, people might ask, ‘What’s new with ASMW?’” posits As Schools Match Wits producer Tony Dunne. “To that, I would say, ‘plenty.’”
Dunne explains the show will not only feature a new batch of challenging questions, but new schools (including Hampden Charter School) and returning past participating schools, like Hopkins Academy.
“And you can expect some special celebrity appearances,” Dunne adds. “Much like the ever-changing world we live in, ASMW continues to evolve with the times.”
